Welding apparatus



Oct. 21, 1941. c. D. HOWARD WELDING APPARATUS Filed July '7, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ccci/ZZ Qfowafd Oct. 21, 1941. c. D. HOWARD WELDING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 7, 193a mv o 1: 2. 0 O la 2 2 4 1 3. rv I 4 I 0 2, F 3 IO 7 r S r 2 a a}... X T Z.1:13;.3:12;. c WJ b. M u n \3 w mam 7 W, M .11. v w W 1 w w w 1 0 8/ u m ,2 M m m 9 m n 2 7 m m 5 7 IO 3 l3 4 v V n 2 5; E; E E 2 3;; E E E H m 1 FIE J Fii'llll: a m BF L1 2 Afro/Mfrs,

C. D. HOWARD WELDING APPARATUS Oct. 21, 1941-.

Filed July 7, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 6 ll R J HM I m M Q ww m m M Q M HUM awwh n lnl wr lwlfiww %w M k I: i I. My 1 1 NM A 1 H x A m? w I .w

Oct. 21,1941 c. D. HOWARD 2,259,976

WELDING APPARATUS Filed July '7, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Oct. 21, 1941 T OFFICE WELDING APPARATUS Cecil D. Howard, Swarthmore, Pa, assignor to Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Chester,

Company,

Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 7, 1938, Serial No. 217,883

, 18 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in welding apparatus and more par icularly o paratus for welding in the construction of tanks, pressure vessels, and the like.

Heretofore in the construction of tanks, pressure vessels, and the like, it has been customary to form a series of rings, weld them together and then to weld on a head or heads.

In. the prior practice the rings were formed from suitable material by bending and then supported successively on rollers, permitting them to be rotated, were welded internally and externally along their longitudinal and girth seams.

. The external welding has heretofore been accomplished-mechanically. However, heretofore the welding of the longitudinal and girth seams internally has nly been accomplished by hand welding.

Now it is the object of this invention topmvide means whereby in the construction of tanks, pressure vessels, and the like, the internal welding of the longitudinal and girth seams may be accomplished mechanically, and, more particularly, to provide means for such purpose which will be readily combined with existing means for wfilding the longitudinal and girth seams extern y.

Having now indicated in a general way the nature and purpose of this invention, I will now proceed to a detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front view, partly in section, showing a preferred embodiment of this invention in position for internally welding a girth seam in I the construction of a tank.

Figure 2 is a side view, partly broken away, of a portion of the apparatus taken at right angles to Figure l.

Figure 3 is a side view, partly in section and partly broken away, or a portion of the apparatus shown in-Figure l, in ing of a girth seam.

Figure 4 is a view showing a detail of construction.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on ure 3.

Figure 6isapartia1 view of a ring'for con-.

struction of a tank.

Figures 7 and 8 are sectional views showing a detail of construction.

Referring to the several figures, I indicates a carriage, supported on wheels 2, mounted on axles l2, adapted to travel on a rail I on the ground. Rollers 4, supported from the carriage,

tain the wheels 2 in alignment thereon. Extending vertically from the carriage are a pair of members i, of H section, and connected at their upper ends by a member 8. The member I serves to support rollers 1, which bear against opposite sides of a rail 8 supported above rail 3 and serve to maintain the carriage'upright on rail 8.

The carriage I is adapted to be driven by an electric motor a, mounted on a bracket II on the carriage i and connected through a clutch and reduction gearing ill to a shaft ll carrying a worm ll arranged to drive a worm wheel or gear I! mounted on the axles l2.

Supported on the carriage i and extending vertically, between the membersi are a pair of screws l6, adapted to .be driven by an electric motor Il,'mounted on the carriage, through gearing I8 and shaft i9 driven by the motor through a chain 20. A cage 2| is mounted on the screws it by means of nuts 22 and is provided with guide rollers 23 arranged to bear oppositely within the members I in order to support the cage in a horizontal position extending laterally of the carriage as shown in Figure 1.

It will now be observed that the carriage l, supporting the cage 2|, mounted on screws it, will, in operation of the motor 8, be driven longitudinally on the rail 3 and will be maintained position for internal weldline H. P,

upright by the engagement of rollers l with rail 8. At the same time the cage may be elevated and positioned vertically with respect to the carriage by the operation of motor ll, which will drive the screws 18 on which the cage 2| is mounted, through nuts 22. I

The rail I may be of any desired length and 'will be of a length sumcient so that the carriage can travel longitudinally of and beyond the ends oil-tanks or pressure vessels to be constructed, and the members 5 and the screws It will be of a height such that the bottom of the cage 2! may be elevated to clear tanks or pressure vessels to be constructed.

Mounted on top of the cage 2! on rail 24, extending-longitudinally of the cage, is a trolley 25 on which in tum is mounted a turntable 20. From the center of the turntable, and turnable therewith, a post 2! depends and serves to support from its lower .end a welding head 28.

The welding head 2| may be of any suitable type adapted for electric welding and may be secured to the post 21 in any suitable or desired manner to turn therewith. The welding head 2 't will base-positioned as to be adaptable for the erformance the welding operation at a point beneath the cage 2 I.

Mounted on the turntable 25 are the various supplies necessary to the welder, as a flux supply can be adjusted vertically by adjustment of the cage 2! on the screws I6, is moved longitudinally when the carriage I is driven and can be turned through 180 for welding in opposite directions of travel of the carriage I, since it is mounted on the turntable 26; which in turn is mounted on the trolley 25, which is movable longitudinally of the cage 2| for lateral adjustment 0! the welder. Here it will be noted that the supplies for the welder, as flux and welding wire, and the suction fan for the return or excess flux are all mounted on the turntable 26,- from which the welding head is supported so that when the welding head is turned for reverse operation the relative position of the supplies to th welding head remains unchanged.

Removably mounted beneath the cage 2i is arm 32 which extends laterally of the cage in parallelism with the railupon which the carriage I travels.

The arm 321s secured by bolts 80, to members sion by rotation of the screws 36 by means of the hand wheel 31, thus moving the members 8! to which the arm is secured longitudinally of the case M.

On the free end of the arm, remote from the cage 2!, is mounted an electric welding head 48 provided with a hopper M, for the supply of flux and with a guide wheel d2 bevelled to a supply hopper. 29, provided at itsvend with a @l connecting a pair of slides 33 secured to the v cage 2| by means of bolted flanges 34, as shown narrow edge. A conduit t3 leads from the flux 5 flexible section d6 having at its end a nozzle ilii for the return of excess flux.- The guide wheel 62 is mounted on trunnions it engaging abrack et at secured from pivots ill to a member 92 mounted on the lower end of the welding head andturnable through 360. A spring 98 is connected to the rear of the bracket 99 and to the member 92 and a. set of screws 84 passes through the bracket and is adapted to'e'nt'er any one of X four openings 95 in the member 92 to secure the guide wheel in position on any quadrant,

. The. welding head 41! is mounted on the arm 32 by means of bracket 46 secured to the welding head and connected by a vertical pivot tl ing wire 55, and the electric control panel 56, on which are mounted controls for the carriage l, the cage 2! and the welder 40.

A set screw 51.15 provided for locking the welding head against movement about the vertical pivot 41 and a lock screw 58 is provided for locking the carriage 49.

- Spaced laterally from the rail 3 upon which carriage i, travels is a bed of laterally and lon-.

gitudinally spaced rollers 59, mounted on shafts @8 extending in parallelism with rail 3 and journaled in brackets 6|, which in turnv are sup ported -from I-beams 62 resting on foundations 63. The rollers 59 along one side of the bed are adapted to be driven from a shaft 64, connected to an electric motor (not shown) through In the operation ofv the apparatus above described a preformed ring 66 is placed upon the bed of rollers 59 with the longitudinal seam at its top. The arm 32 is removed from the cage 2| and the cage is elevated and the carriage l driven to bring the welding head 28 in operative relation with one end of the longitudinal seam 61 of the ring. The carriage l is then driven at a suitable speed and in a suitable direction to cause the welding head 28 to traverse the seam and effect an external weld. A second ring 66 is then placed on the bed of rollers in abutting relation with the first ring and its longitudinal seam 61 welded by further movement of the carriage l. The carriage l and cage 28 are then adjusted to position the welding head 28 in operative relation with the girth seam 88 and the rings are rotated, by driving the rollers 59, to cause the girth seam to be traversed by the-welding head for its welding externally. When the longitudinal seam of one ring ha been welded externally or, preferably, when two or more rings have been welded externally on their longitudinal and girth seams, as described above, the carriage i is moved to position the cage 28 away from the rings and arm 82 is seecured to the cage 2!. The carriage i is then moved to enter the arm 32 within the rings and the cage 2! is adjusted on screws it to posh tion the welding head 60 in operative relation with the inside of a girth seam 68, which may H be the seam on which the head H oi. a tank is welded, as shown in Figure 3. When the welding head is adjusted for welding a girth seam,

the set screw 57 will be set to lock the pivot 41,

The carriage 48 carries shafts upon and extend beyond the free end ofarm 32, as

' shownin Figure 5. Above thecarriage 49 is a while the set screw 58 will be loosened to free the carriage 49 and the guide wheel 62 will be lined in the groove formed by the bevelled edges 10 of the seam and in which it will be held by the spring 83. s a

.When the welding head M3 is adjusted the rings will be rotated at a suitable speed to cause the girth seams to traverse the welding head for. the internal welding of the seams, it being noted that the welding head will be maintained inaccurate alignment with the seams by the guide wheel 42, which will be adjusted in advance of the welder with respect to the direction of'rotation of the rings and which,- tracking in in direction.

9,959,978 the groove formed by the bevelled edges of the rings, will cause the carriage to move longitudinally oi the arm as the girth seams .may vary The longitudinal seams I of the rings are internally welded by rotation oi the ring or rings to bring the seam to be welded at the bottom 01 the ring and adjustment of'the carriage l and cage 2| to bring the welding head ll into operative relation with one end of the seam. Any final adjustment or the welding head with respect to a longitudinal seam may be made by a lateral adjustment of arm 32 eflected by manipulation 01' hand wheel 31. In. the adjustment 0! the welding head 40 for internally welding a longitudinal scam, the carriage 48 is locked by turning up set screw 50 and the set screw 51 is loosened to Iree the vertical pivot H. The welding of the seam will then be accomplished by moving the carriage l to causethe welder to traverse the seam and it will be noted that with the vertical pivot 4! free, the guide wheel 42 tracking in the groove ahead of the welder will cause the welder to move laterally on the pivot 41 as may be necessary for it to follow the seam.

In the welding of longitudinal or of girth seams, the welder or the rings may be moved in tating said screws, vertical guides for the cage, an-arm secured at one end to the cage and extending laterally thereof in parallelism with said rail, a longitudinally movable carriage supported from said arm adjacent its free end, a welding head secured to said carriage on a vertical pivot, means for locking said carriage against movement, means for locking the welding head against movement about said vertical pivot, a guide wheel pivotally associated with the welding head and means for locking said wheel in any one of four positions 90 apart.

4. A welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a rail, a carriage on said rail, a guide rail, means on the carriage engaging the guide rail, means for moving the carriage longitudinally of the rail, a pair of screws extending vertically from the carriage, a cage extending laterally oi the carriage, nuts secured to the carriage and engaging said screws, means for rotating said screws, vertical guide for the cage. a slide mounted beneath the cage, a screw, a nut secured to the slide and engaging with the screw, an arm secured at one end to the slide and extending laterally of the cage in parallelism with the rail, a longitudinally movable carriage supported from said arm adjacent its free end, a

either direction, since the guide wheel 42 is adjustable to'position it to lead the welder.

It will be appreciated that it is not contem plated that this invention shall be in any wise limited by the above detailed description of a preferred embodiment, since it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications in detail may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as' defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a rail, a carriage on said rail, 9. guide rail, means on the carriage engaging the guide rail, means for moving the carriage longitudinally of the rail, a pair of screws extending vertically from the carriage, a cage extending laterally oi. the carriage, nuts secured to the.

carriage and engaging said screws, means for rotating said screws,'vertical guides for the cage, an arm secured at one end to the cage and ex! tending laterally thereof in parallelism with said rail and a welding head mounted on said arm adjacent its free end.

2. A welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a rail, acarriage on said rail, a guide rail, means on the carriage engaging the guide rail, means for moving the carriage longitudinally of the rail, 2. pair of screws extending vertically'from the carriage, a cage extending laterally of the carriage, nuts secured to the carriage and engaging said screws, means for rotating said screws, vertical guides for the cage, a slide mounted beneath the cage, a screw, a nut secured to the slide and engaged with the screw, an arm secured to the slide and extending laterally of the cage in parallelism with the rail and a welding head mounted on the arm adjacent its free end. i

3. A welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a rail, a carriage on said-rail, a guide rail, means on the carriage engaging the guide raiI means for moving the carriage longitudinally ot the rail, apair oi screws extending verwelding head secured to said carriage on a vertical pivot, means for locking said carriage against movement, means for locking the welding head against movement about said vertical pivot, a guide wheel pivotally associated with the welding head, and means for locking said wheel in any one of four positions 90 apart.

5, A welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a support, means for moving the support longitudinally, means for raising and lowering the support vertically with respect to its longitudinal movement, an arm secured to and extending in the direction of longitudinal movement of the support, a welding head supported from said arm adjacent its free end for movement longitudinally with respect to said arm and for pivotal movement on an axis extending vertically with respect to the longitudinal extension of said arm, releasable means for preventing longitudinal movement of the head and releasable means for preventing pivotal movement oi the head.

6. A welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a support, means for moving the support longitudinally, means for raising and lowering thesupport vertically with respect to its longitudinal movement, an arm secured to and extending in the direction of longitudinal movement of the support, a welding head supported from said arm on a vertical pivot and means for locking the welding head against movement with respect to said pivot.

'7. A welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a longitudinally movable carriage, a support extending from the carriage laterally of itsdirection of movement, means for raising and lowering the support vertically with respect to the direction of movement of the carriage, an

' arm secured to said support adjacent one of its free end for movement in a longitudinal direc- 'tion with respect to said arm and for pivotal movement about an'axis extending vertically with respect to said arm, releasable means for preventing longitudinal movement or said head and releasable means for preventing pivotal movement of said head. 1

8. A welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a rail, a carriage on said rail, a guide-rail,

means on the carriage engaging the guide rail, means for moving the carriage longitudinally of the rail, a cage extending laterally of the carriage, meansfor raising and lowering the cage vertically with respect to the direction of movement of the carriage, a welding head carried by the cage, a rotatable support carried by the cage above the welding head and means carried by the rotatable support for the supply of welding rod and melt to the welding head. I

9. A welding'apparatus comprising, in combi-.

12. A welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a rail, a carriage on said rail. a guide rail, means on the carriage engaging the guide rail, means for moving the carriage longitudinally oi the rail, a cage extending laterally oi! the carriage, means for raising and lowering the cage vertically with respect to the direction oi. movement of the carriage, vertical guides for the cage, a slide mounted beneath the cage, a screw, a nut secured to the slide and engaging with the screw, an arm secured at one end 'to the slide and,

' extending laterally of the cage in parallelism with nation, a rail, a carriage on said rail, a guide rail,

'means on the carriage engaging the guide rail,

means for moving the carriage longitudinally of the rail, a cage extending laterally of the'carriage, means for raising and lowering the cage vertically with respect to the direction of movement of the carriage, a weldinghead carried by the cage, an arm secured at one end to the cage "and extending in parallelism to the direction of movement 01' the carriage, a seco'ndwelding head supported on said arm adjacent its free end, a rotatable support carried by the cage above the welding head and means carried by the rotatable support for the supply of welding rod and melt to one of the welding heads.

10. A welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a rail, acarriage on said rail, a guide rail, means on the carriage engaging the guide rail,

- means for moving the carriage longitudinally of the rail, a cage extending laterally oi the carriage, means for raising and lowering the cage vertically with respect to the direction of movementoi the carriage, vertical uides for the cage,-

- means supported from the carriage and engaging a slide mounted beneath the cage, a screw, a nut secured to the slide and engaged with the screw, an arm secured to the slide and extending lat-- erally ,ot the cage in'parallelism with the rail and a welding head mounted on the arm adjacent its free end.

11. A welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a rail, a carriage on said rail. a guide rail, means on the carriage engaging the guide rail, means for moving the carriage longitudinally o!- the rail, a cage extending laterally of the carriage; means for raising and lowering the cage vertically with respect to the direction of movement of the carriage, vertical guides for the cage, .an'arm secured at one end to the cage and extending laterally thereof in parallelism with said rail, a longitudinally movable'carriage supported from said arm adjacentits free end, a welding head secured tosaid-carriage on a vertical pivot,

means for locking said carriage against longitudinal movement and means for locking the welding head against movement about said vertical pivot.

the guide rail, an arm extending from said car'- riage, a welding head supported from said arm, a, guide wheel pivotally associated .with said welding head and means for locking saidwheelin any one of a plurality of positions-about its 14. A welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a rail, a carriage on said rail, a guide rail, means on the carriage engaging the guide rail, a support extending laterally of the carriage, a welding head carried by the-support, a rotatable support carried by the support above the welding head and means carried by the ro-'- tatable support for the supplyvof welding rod and melt to the welding head.

l5. A'welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a rail, a carriage on said} rail, .means for moving the carriage longitudinally of the rail, 8. support extending laterally oi the carriage, means for raising and lowering the support vertically with respect to the direction oi movement or the carriage, a slide supported from the support,

means for moving the slide relative to the support, an arm secured. to the slide andextending therefrom. in parallelism with the direction of movement of the carriage, and a welding head mounted on the arm adjacent its free end.

16. A welding apparatus comprising, in combination, a rail, a carriage on said rail, an arm extending from saidcarriage in a direction longitudinally of the rail, a welding head supported i'rom said arm for longitudinal and pivotal movement and a. guide wheel pivotally associated with said welding head and means for locking said wheel in any one of a plurality-of positions about its pivot.

CECIL D. HOWARD. 

